12 Feb 2022, 16:31
There, Out in the Darkness
AngelFyre was feeling like she had been spending far too much time indoors lately. She wanted to get out and feel the cold air against her skin and the slight sting in her throat and lungs as she breathed the fresh air of the Scottish Highlands in deeply. She knew she would acclimate to it soon enough after leaving the relative warmth of Hogwarts. Or more precisely, the cozy warmth of House Hufflepuff. She found the castle itself to be rather cold most of the time, but maybe it was just her.AngelFyre Invites @Simon Kincaid to Skate
She had heard many of the students speaking about an impromptu ice skating gathering that had taken place a few days earlier at the lake, and AngelFyre was sad to have missed it. She loved to ice skate, but it did give her an idea. After dinner, she ran up to the dormitory and straight to her trunk sitting at the end of her bed. She swung the lid open with abandon and started rummaging straight to the bottom. Eureka! Her fingers first made contact with one sheathed blade and a mere second later they found the second. She grasped them both tightly and pulled them up and out, leaving her neatly folded clothes in a state of extraordinary disarray, but she had her ice skates in hand, and that was the important thing in the moment. She slammed the trunk lid, which actually did not make much noise because one of her winter sweater sleeves was draped over the edge of the trunk, and oblivious to that, she swung her skates over her shoulder and headed down to the Common Room.
As she was about to head out, she saw a boy heading towards the stairs to the boys' dormitories. She did not know his name, but she had seen him with Simon a time or two. She momentarily intercepted him and asked him if he happened to see Simon, would he please tell him that AngelFyre was going to be skating at the lake if would care to join her. She knew full well Simon could skate, and skate quite well apparently, as tales of a certain scene from Dirty Dancing reenacted on the ice had been making the rounds. She smiled and wished she could have seen that. The boy also smiled and said he would be happy to pass on the message if he saw Simon, and with that, she gleefully made her escape.
********
The weather was perfect and the evening beautiful. It was cold, but not dangerously so. There were a few clouds in the sky which helped to keep it a little warmer, but when she looked up, the deep, bluish-purplish-black of the sky was a perfect backdrop for the million pinpoints of twinkling stars dotting the sky. She brushed the snow off a bench and sat down, readying herself to put on her ice skates. She started humming a song from her absolute favorite musical of all time, Les Misérables, unaware she was doing so, and the humming soon turned to singing before she knew it...
There, out in the darkness
A fugitive running
Fallen from grace
Fallen from grace
God be my witness
I never shall yield
Till we come face to face
Till we come face to face
And with her skates on, AngelFyre moved onto the ice.... breeze in her hair....gliding....turning... picking up speed.... releasing all cares....flying on the ice.
Stars
In your multitudes
Scarce to be counted
Filling the darkness
With order and light
You are the sentinels
Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night
Keeping watch in the night
Last edited by AngelFyre McCubbin on 9 Mar 2022, 16:48, edited 2 times in total.
The magic is real.
13 Feb 2022, 05:37
There, Out in the Darkness
@Meeting @AngelFyre McCubbin
"Hey, Simon!" a voice on the other side of his small singular room could be heard, followed by a soft pound. Rascal perked up his little head from his swing and blinked at Simon as if to say 'really? someone's disturbing my nap?' Simon glanced up from his book and smiled to the little gray thing and set down that book so he could gently pat him on the head. "Coming!" he called out. He went to open the door and one of his fellow Hufflepuff friends told him that AngelFyre McCubbin had asked that he let him know that she'd be out at the lake in case he wanted to join her.
It was just the day before in the Library where he had discovered her note that was probably intended only for herself, but nonetheless her written admittance of love fell upon him. Did he go? Would it even be the right thing to do?
Then again, he DID have all his assignments caught up and he was in a current temporary slump with the song he was working on. Perhaps this sort of refreshing break was exactly what he needed. He glanced back over to Rascal who already had his head down and eyes closed, back in the slumber he had been in previously.
Simon grabbed his skates that he had brought back with him from Winter Break and headed down to the Ground Floor and out the Entrance Hall and onto the school grounds. Being just after supper, the sun had yet to slip down passed the horizon and so as he approached the Great Lake he could see her.
Gliding, Turning. Twirling.
She seemed to do it quite effortlessly, and he stood there for many moments, just watching - caught up in it all.
It wouldn't be until her song came to an end that he would begin to approach again. If she would look over toward him in seeing him coming, he'd give her a wave accompanied by a smile.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
13 Feb 2022, 11:17
There, Out in the Darkness
AngelFyre Greets @Simon Kincaid
Still humming and singing, but not loudly, AngelFyre could not help thinking that the ice was in excellent condition considering how many kids had been out here skating on it the other day. She did not think Hogwarts utilized a Zamboni to resurface the ice, but who knew? If anything was used on it at all, however, she had a strong suspicion it would be a little thing called magic. Even after 6 months at Hogwarts, the thought to use magic on anything was still not her default response but always just an afterthought. She was beginning to despair whether that was ever going to change for her or not, which was but one reason she was welcoming the chance to be out here. This she could do. This she did not have to think about. She could get out of her own way out here. This just felt like freedom.
Picking up more speed and making a wide circle back towards the bench, AngelFyre smiled happily when she caught sight of Simon. She waved at him and did a few figure eights slowing herself gently rather than just abruptly slicing to the side and shaving the ice in a way that a hockey player might.
"Good evening, Mr. Kincaid," and she chuckled to herself at the memory of her father's references to Simon in his letter always as Mr. Kincaid. Well, he also referred to him as her Prince Charming, if memory served, but who goes around saying, Good evening, Prince Charming? Exactly. No one. "Care to go for a spin with me?"
The magic is real.
13 Feb 2022, 13:47
There, Out in the Darkness
Onto the ice with @AngelFyre McCubbin
With her now eager to see him and he knew he wasn't interrupting her good time, Simon smiled wider and headed to the fallen tree that sat near the Lake's edge, using it as a seating area to change into his skates. "I'll come skate with you, love, but I'm not so sure of going for a spin."
He could do crossovers while he skated, make sharp turns, skate backwards, but when it came to spins or figure eights or any of that figure skating elegant stuff - not so much. "I spent a good deal of time on an ice rink growing up. I started hockey around the time I was five. Sometimes it's hard to find some good indoor activities," he said as he finished tying the laces of his last skate and made his way over to her, not even hesitating when he reached the boundary between the Lake's edge and the frozen surface.
Simon glided out right to where she was. "Glad you're still wanting to see me after what was revealed yesterday in the Library," he said quietly. Maybe the same could be said for him and the information he found. He wondered if he should tell her that he knew - that he found her note - but somehow that just seemed like a bad idea. The last thing he would want is her to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable around him.
"I always found it rather amazing how different ice skating can be when you compare hockey skating to figure skating. Sometimes on the next rink over at the complex they'd have figure skating lessons and I'd think to myself I couldn't do that if I tried. When I'd talk to those that took figure skating lessons, they often thought the same on our sharp turns and speed. Honestly, I don't think it's the skates either," he looked down to the ones that he and AngelFyre had on. "Essentially they're the same," although his were wider and didn't have the toe pick for a stop. "I guess it's all in the way you carry yourself, how you place your center of gravity."
He lifted his head to look back up to her and smiled, his eyes finding her even with the sunlight beginning to lessen in the sky. "You looked like you were having a wonderful time out here. Sure you're wanting me to come join?"
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
13 Feb 2022, 16:07
There, Out in the Darkness
AngelFyre Skates With @Simon Kincaid
Ahhhh, he was a hockey player. AngelFyre figured that was most likely the case. He definitely had the strength to be a figure skater, she was certain, being a Dhampir, but even more than that, he was also tall, muscular, and lean and certainly looked as if he could be a figure skater. AngelFyre was not certain if that observation would offend him or not, so she kept it to herself, but it was a net positive from her perspective and yet one more point of attraction she felt for him. As if she really needed any more of those.
"Fair enough. No spins," she laughed. "But I can do crossovers and skate backwards. You hockey jocks do those, right? A lot of figure skating is working the outside or inside edge of the skate. Is that very different in hockey? I like being on the ice, believe it or not, primarily for the speed, not necessarily the grace. I am such a wild child by nature, much to my mother's chagrin. It was she who taught me to skate, and she used to compete back in the States when she was younger. I think she is a phenomenal skater, but by competitive standards, she did not quite stack up. So, everything she taught me had the more refined touch. I am not knocking it. I do sometimes love the elegance of it, but maybe I like the idea of speed because she could not work with me on leaps or jumps. Now those would be fun!"
AngelFyre then watched him so effortlessly glide out to her and smiled as he expressed he was glad she still wanted to see him after their meeting in the Library the day before. Oh, if he only knew what an understatement that was. "I meant everything I said. You are stuck with me unless and until you decide to be rid of me. So, unless you came all the way out here to tell me to make myself a permanent absence from your life, or that you intend to make yourself a permanent absence from mine," and her heart froze for a few seconds at the mere mention of those sickening thoughts, "consider me an eager student for the time being and enlighten me on the tricks of your trade for speed and sharp turns."
And at that, she pushed off, skating away from him backwards, then turned and yelled over her shoulder, "I feel the need... the need for speed."
The magic is real.
13 Feb 2022, 16:24
There, Out in the Darkness
Top gunning with @AngelFyre McCubbin
"Hey, hey, hey!" he called out and began after her and shook his head. "None of that. No. If anything, I get to be Maverick and you can be Goose or whoever but you don't get to be Maverick. Have you SEEN me in shades, dear AngelFyre?" he asked, catching up pretty quickly with her. Speed had been his one of his greatest strengths as a player and since there was no stick handling to also focus on, he could devote all his attention to it.
"I put a young Tom Cruise to shame, my love." If it weren't so late in the day, he would have had some with him in his bag but alas, he did not. There would be no going back to throw some on and prove his point at that moment and she only could take his word on it.
"Absolute shame," he added and gave her a smile. Simon went and gave his head a toss and brought his hand through his hair but honestly - it just looked as it had before he even did so. His hair had a way of seeming to always fall into face the way that he wanted it to be. Some people had to fuss with theirs and he had been blessed in this respect.
"Careful of a spot over there," he pointed over to one of the edges, "there's a couple divets, at least there was a couple days ago when I was out here with some of the others." He was glad that the ice was still strong, so that he could have this evening with AngelFyre.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
13 Feb 2022, 17:33
There, Out in the Darkness
Never Leaving Her Wingman @Simon Kincaid
Laughing and laughing as he insisted on being Mav, which made total and perfect sense, of course, but wait! He thought that made her... Goose? "Goose? GOOSE!?! Oh, h-e-double hockey sticks no! Goose was great, but he died, Mav. You are NOT cutting me out of your story only half way through it."
Then assuming the Imperious and icy cool demeanor of the real Top Gun, IceMan, which given where they found themselves was entirely apropos, AngelFyre took flight over to the Danger Zone she had just been warned about. "Divets, Schmivets," she said in a dismissive tone while releasing her wand from its holster in her sleeve, and targeting the diveted area, she made her focused wand movements while intoning "Reparo!" Then to test the success, or not, of her casting, she skated straight into said Danger Zone.
Now, it was true that AngelFyre was always an adventurous soul, but she had never been a dangerously impetuous one. For a split second too late before reaching the DZ, the thought crossed her mind that she had probably overestimated her casting skills. Luckily for her, before the thought of concern had even been completed, she skated through it completely unscathed.
Hmmmm... Turning back and skating over to Simon, she felt invigorated, validated, and completely foolish. "Well, at least I did not fly into the jet wash," she said sheepishly.
The magic is real.
20 Feb 2022, 14:42
There, Out in the Darkness
Skating with @AngelFyre McCubbin
Simon smiled widely when she referred to him as Mav because that meant he at least got the Maverick title.
"Girl, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash," Simon said as he approached AngelFyre and laughed. Okay, so his reference didn't TOTALLY work there but it kind of went with it. She was showing off and that's what the superior officer in the movie at that moment was trying to get across. And yes, in the movie they said 'son' but AngelFyre McCubbin was anything but male and this girl thirsty dhampir certainly noticed that more times than once.
"But nice skating out there Ice. You can be my wingman anytime," and he extended his hand out toward her, trying to hint, through the obscure Top Gun reference, that he hoped she'd take his hand and the two could skate around some together. It wasn't necessary, especially since they were both rather avid skaters, but still, they could easily match speeds that way and skate and talk for awhile - just spend some time together.
"You know, I probably wouldn't know that movie so well but my Aunt Maggie has a thing for Tom Cruise," he said with a laugh. "That or maybe my dhampir self spends too much time indoors and too many sleepless nights watching movies."
That sort of opened the door to their conversation the previous night in the Library. She had discovered that he was, in fact, a dhampir and Simon was curious as to whether she had any new questions about the topic. He wanted to be open and honest with her - even if he hadn't revealed that he had found her note within the books. She would probably feel awful if she knew he found it and he was trying to save her from any feelings of self consciousness.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
21 Feb 2022, 02:00
There, Out in the Darkness
AngelFyre Asks @Simon Kincaid About His Dhampir-ness
Relieved that she had not wiped out on the ice in front of Simon due to her own recklessness, she was grateful he just laughed it off with yet another great line from the movie. His mind was so quick and agile, and his sense of humor seemed to align with hers which made being around him so much fun. Tossing her momentary embarrassment aside, she reached for his outstretched hand and wondered seconds too late, yet again, whether doing so was a wise idea. The answer to that question was a resounding N0! N0! NO! but her reflexes were just a little quicker than her alarm bells and she found her hand pressed into his as they slowly started to skate.
Funny how such a simple thing could have her mind turning cartwheels. AngelFyre knew she was going to have to figure out a way to be around him and not dissolve into a mess of nerves at the merest touch. Problem was, she just honestly did not know how to accomplish that, short of not seeing him at all, and the thought of that made her tummy do cartwheels, and not in a good way. Of course, another option was to just maintain a personal distance between herself and Simon so that there was never a possibility of touching him. This was not her favorite option either, but compromise was never something that gave one everything they wanted. At least she would still have him in her life in some fashion under those circumstances, drastic as they seemed to her, and that was a win in her book.
"Yet one more reason I already like your Aunt Maggie. Tom Cruise is completely drool worthy looks wise, but, and this is a very big BUT, his attractiveness ends there. His personal life is an absolute train wreck and that is most decidedly not attractive. And yes, Sir, since you asked a few minutes ago, and since it seems important to your validation as a chick magnet yourself, I can attest to the fact that I do believe I have seen you sporting your shades every now and again as well. I guess I am forced to admit, under very extreme duress mind you, that you, too, are also completely drool worthy. There. Did that sufficiently pad your male ego?" she asked and tilted her head while batting her long lashes rapidly at him and nudging his upper arm playfully with her shoulder.
Because he had been mentioned a couple of times, AngelFyre kind of chuckled at the memory of some video clip she had seen of Tom Cruise jumping on a sofa while being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey all because he was in love. It had been taped before AngelFyre was born, she was pretty certain, but it now had her momentarily wondering what her own reaction would be if she were ever to have her own heart's desire proclaim his affection for her? Stealing a quick sideways glance at Simon, her heart started racing and she began to think that maybe jumping on a sofa was not so far-fetched after all. Stop it AF! That little fantasy lives in the realm of NeverGonnaHappen. His life was still a train wreck, but AngelFyre was prepared to concede she may have been overly harsh in judging Tom Cruise on the sofa thing.
"Since you mentioned it, I guess sleepless nights is something we have in common, but I bet it looks operationally quite different for us. I am often up 36-72 hours straight. Makes one quite a learned individual if channeled properly, eh?" Then chuckling again she continued, "I fully realize the irony of what I just said about being learned juxtaposed against what I am about to say on ignorance, but just bear with me, please. Uhmmm... I told you last night I have a lot of questions, and I do, so if I sound completely ignorant, which I really am quite honestly, when it comes to the subject of Dhampirs, please forgive me. There was a lot of conflicting information in the books I pulled off the shelves, and practically no information on Vampires whatsoever, so just prepare yourself for Crazytown from me for a bit."
She recognized she had so may questions that it was hard to even know where to start, so she decided to start up with the subject of sleep since he had already mentioned it. "Where do you sleep? How do you sleep? Do you dream, and if so, do you dream in color?" That last question was not covered anywhere in her research, but AngelFyre had an incredibly rich and beautiful dream life, so this was always a topic of fascination to her.
Additionally, since she had placed her hand on his chest last evening, she noted that she did not detect a heartbeat, but quite honestly, she was so rattled herself and astonished by her boldness that she could have easily missed it if he did have one. She reasoned he had to have one or some doctor somewhere would have been making a name for themself with such a unique medical finding, but she would ask anyway. Maybe some doctor had tried to make a name for themself, but they ended up on the front pages of National Enquirer instead. Maybe Werewolves and Vampires and Dhampirs were the very reason the tabloid rags even existed in the first place.
"And a heartbeat, Simon.... do you have one of those?" She looked at him and to her relief, he seemed unfazed by her questions, so she silenced herself and listened as their blades scraped the ice in unison as they skated hand in hand and side by side, under the beautiful blanket of stars.
The magic is real.
25 Feb 2022, 04:47
There, Out in the Darkness
Answers for @AngelFyre McCubbin
"Yes, yes, the fragile ego still stands in all its glory, thank you," he smiled over to her. Anyone with any bit of self confidence had an ego that they wanted to make sure stayed in tact and uninjured and Simon Kincaid was no exception to that!
This was nice. Just her and him out there gliding on the ice. The last time he was out there it was he and Winter Wolfhartz and a bunch of first years. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't this.
She then got around to saying she had a lot of questions when it came to the subject of dhampirs and he looked forward, mentally telling himself that he had this, that he could do this. It wasn't that he was ashamed to answer any question that came his way but rather that she might get scared off by his reply. Still, something told him that wasn't going to be the case.
"Ask away," he encouraged her, even so much as squeezing her hand gently as a physical sort of nudge to get her to keep going with her curious thoughts. If she wanted to get to know him and he wanted her to, then this was a large part of who he was - like it or not.
"I sleep..." he paused, only because it took him a moment to process all she had asked because no one had ever really asked of his sleeping habits before. He wasn't entirely sure that even Aunt Maggie herself had picked up on them accurately over the years. "I sleep in a bed, laying down," he answered and couldn't help but begin to smile. It sounded sarcastic and he really didn't mean to tease her. That wasn't his intention. It was adorable to him that she was even curious of this sort of thing and it led him to believe she wanted to know everything about him.
"No, but really. Normal. Nothing like you see in vampire movies. No coffin. Now, I will say I seem to get less sleep than others but it doesn't seem to affect my physical or mental agility and it's allowed me more time to focus on my hobbies and interests over the years. I dream, and yeah, dream in color."
They skated on as she asked about the next question and he didn't blame her for it. It wasn't just muggle folklore, literature, and entertainment that perceived vampire and vampire kind in a certain light; as many of the resources in the Hogwarts school library also painted them a certain way. "My heart? It beats," he said and slowed his skating down.
When they steadily descended to a stop, he kept her hand in his and brought it to his chest, placing it over his heart the way she had it yesterday. "I was told once that it was a slow heart beat but that it was a healthy heart beat and a strong heart beat." Unsure if she could feel it, he brought himself closer to her. "Close your eyes. Do you feel that?"
Somehow it wasn't so slow at the moment.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)